29 July 2015

You guys, as of this Monday, I am officially BACK AT WORK. I mean, I’ve been working nonstop this past few months, save for that one lovely long weekend in Wisconsin in early July. But I’ve been working here and there and sleeping in my own bed for only a night or two at a time before hitting the road again. Needless to say, my house is neglected and my suitcase has never quite been unpacked since mid-June.

But all that is over! Team P survived the crazy summer of nonstop traveling! Time to say farewell to this challenging, wonderful, exhausting month!

I feel a little lighter than usual on favorites this month because of all that travel, but fortunately, I had enough time spent sitting in airports to find a few things to share with you. This month I loved...

Good reads

I always like a good longform on extraordinary things that happen to ordinary people. This story about two sets of twins in Bogotá fits the bill.

Because I was traveling, I checked out Amy Poehler’s Yes Please in audiobook form, because all celebrity memoirs are better when they read it to you (and Amy goes all out, bringing in everyone from other celebs to her parents). For the most part, it was cute or insightful, but I stuck it out and the last chapters, about her boys, made me laugh out loud.

One thing I’m not reading this month? The “new” Harper Lee novel. My reasons why have been bandied about the internet already, but this short article sums them up pretty well.

I’ve always liked the song “Everlong”, I guess, and Dave Grohl seemed like a cool guy. But until I read this WaPo article I had no idea how talented – and down-to-earth – he really is. He made the entire first Foo Fighters album alone! Bonus feature: this gallery of “reasons Dave Grohl is awesome” is delightful. Here’s my favorite:

Though this is a close second:

Speaking of talent, here’s a list of women scientists you should probably know about. At first, I was annoyed that this list is just women scientists, like women need our own special list. But then it lists Cori Bargmann and Cynthia Kenyon and Jennifer Doudna, which means it’s a list of interesting scientists, period. (I am still fascinated by the Theranos controversy.)

Sorry for getting a little political, but this announcement made me pump my fist in the air. (Though I’m still boycotting Hobby Lobby, because as Senator Murray said, “No one should have to ask their boss for permission to get the health care they need.”)

And finally, are you ready for Oliver Sacks to make you cry again, as he ponders the end of his cancer-shortened life? Here you go, then.

Home & Projects

In a bit of décor-meets-media mashup, have you ever wondered about that afghan that seems to be folded over the back of every single sitcom sofa? You weren’t the only one.

And do you have Pinterest boards full of saved photos that you like, but you don’t really know what to do about them (other than stare at your computer screen long enough that you can willfully ignore the reality around you)? This Apartment Therapy guide on identifying your style might help.

This Month’s Maps

So many maps this month! Let’s start with my longtime crusade, VACCINATIONS, and use this interactive map to see where I should probably avoid taking my too-young-to-vaccinate baby, lest the child of some ill-informed parent infect him with measles.

A friend of mine made this map (and several more) about where fossils are found! Hi, Jeff!

I recently was trying to describe the racial segregation in our city to a visiting friend, and in the process I re-discovered this map of the US in which one dot = one person. It is beautiful and informative and only a little bit creepy.

And finally, Mr. P sent me this entire blog of linguistic maps, which shows the geography of things like most common swear word and the usage of “on fleek”. I cannot get enough.

Mom & family

Usually I’m loathe to share articles on imperfect marriages, as being married to Mr. P is pretty dang great and I don’t take it for granted for one single second. But I really appreciated this article, because sometimes I am lousy at marriage, and yet, as the author says, there is beauty in the failing and trying again.

Mr. P’s friend just had a baby, and his doula wife made him this flowchart. It is ON POINT.

Baby P is getting old enough now that he really, really watches what’s on television in the room. Which means we’ve got to start controlling that, I guess, and get some good habits in place.

And finally, if you are a parent and appreciate a good punch in the feels, listen to the first act of this episode of This American Life. Brace yourself for the last line, because I may have started tearing up on the sidewalk.

Fun stuff

Technically it’s not very fun that my Apple cords keep fraying (approximately 0.3 seconds outside of warranty), but at least there’s humor in seeing that I’m not alone.

4
comments:

These are always my favorite posts. Such great things! And, as someone who also has a pretty great marriage, I appreciate you sharing the article on marriage. Marriage takes more work than people realize, and it's not always sunshine and rainbows. And yet, it's always worth it.

.

I’m a real-life red-headed stepchild, recently transplanted from Nashville, TN to St. Louis, MO, with my husband, Mr. P. Here you can read about my many projects as a real-life scientist pretending to be a designer in my spare time.